“Roger Carroll dropping down to 155 is a tall order for the new champ,” XFC President John Prisco stated. “Holtzman is relentless, but Roger Carroll is one of the toughest guys to ever step foot in our cage. The guy is hard to finish; this is going to be a good old fashioned scrap. We know both these guys can dish out punishment, so the question is going to be, who can take the punishment and keep coming.

“Both Cortney Casey and Pearl Gonzalez were brought in to our company because we knew each has what it takes to build a division around and represent the XFC to the fullest. We could hold a tournament and drag this title chase out, but I honestly think Casey and Gonzalez would be the two left standing in the end, so why put off the inevitable?”

The undefeated “Hot Sauce” Holtzman has fought all five of his professional contests under the XFC banner. Four of those fights have ended by either knockout or submission, including a June TKO win over John Mahlow, when Holtzman claimed the lightweight belt. He now meets “The Leprechaun” Carroll, who moves down from 170 pounds for a shot at the belt. A grappling specialist, all 11 of Carroll’s pro wins have come by submission.

Casey made her professional debut in June, when she scored a first-round submission win over Kelly Warren at XFC 24. The impressive debut came after an amateur career that saw Casey victorious in her final five appearances, including three submission wins. Meanwhile, Gonzalez made her professional debut in 2012 and lost a majority decision to a tough Munah Holland. She bounced back in February in an XFC 22 win over Suzie Montero.

ALBANY, N.Y. – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s UFC Fight Night 102 event at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., which kicks off at 5:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

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